Elevator-gate



(No Model.) 2V Sheets-Sheet 1.

J. G.ZBLLER.

BLEVATOR GATE.

No. 424,917. Patented Apr. 1, 1890'.

Illu;

2 Sheets-Sheet, 2.

(No Model.)

- J. G.'ZELLE R.

BLE'VATOR GATE.

l Patented Apr. 1,1890.

@wilma/@osea UNITED STATES `f PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN G. ZELLER, OF RICHMOND, INDIANA.

ELEVATOR-GATE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 424,917, dated April 1,1890.

Application filed October 17, 1889.I Serial No. 327,288. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN G. ZELLER, a citizen ofthe United States, and aresident of Richmond, in the county of lVayne and State of Indiana, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Automatic Elevator-Gates, of which the followingA is a specification.

My invention is an improvement in that class of elevators shown anddescribed in Letters Patent No. 230,387, granted to G. Ackerman, datedJuly 27, 1880, and No. 231,388, dated August 24:, 1881. f

One of the objects of my invention is to take off the shocks and jars inthe stopping and starting of the gates which work in the hatchway andare opened and closed automatically by the movement of the elevator.

Another object of myinvention is to reduce the friction and secure asmooth working of the parts.

The various features of my invention are fully set forth in thedescription of the accompanying drawings, making a part of thisspecification, in which- Figure 1 is a perspective view of the elevatorworking in a hatchway containing my improvement. Fig. 2 is a sideelevation, partly in section, showing the position of the parts when thegate is opened or closed. Fig. 3 is a detail side elevation of the drum,rack, and pinion. Fig. 4 is a side elevation showing the rope and drumattachments. Fig. 5 is a transverse side elevation of Fig. 3.

-1 is the platform of the elevator; 2 3, the stanchion on which the drumand drivinggear to move the gates are mounted.

4 represents the gates for closing the hatchway, which move in thegrooves of the corner-post 5, as shown in said former patent.

6 represents a double incline rigidly connected to the frame of theelevator.

7 represents a pendulous lever which is pivoted, preferably, within thehatchway, and at the floor above the one on which a given gate is to beopened or closed. The lower end of said lever is pivoted to the rack 8.It also carries a friction-roller 9, which comes in contact with andmoves up and down the incline G as the elevator passes up or down to anygiven story in the hatchway. The rack 8 meshes with the teeth of gear10, which is geared to the shaft 11, on which the drum 12.

let represents a friction roller engaging with the top of the rack-bar8. Said rack-bar is projected through one of the side stanchions 2,first, so as to be out of the way, and, second, so as to have a firmsupport.

In order to prevent jars or shocks in the stopping Vand starting of thegate movement, Iprovide two instrumentalities: First, the incline 6 isgradual, as at a, at the stopping and starting point, so that asthefriction-roller 9 comes in contact with it its motion is slow at thetime. This could be used by itself with a degree of success; 1out itrequires a longer time to open and close the gate than is desired. Ihave consequently provided another instrumentality, which consists inthe attachment of the rope 13 and the pulley 12. This rope is the leftrope, which passes over the pulley 12 and over the frictionrollers 1516, and is connected to the gate 4f, as shown in Fig. 1. By connectingthe rope vertically to thepulley, as there shown, the pulley moves aconsiderable distance before any appreciable amount of winding on thepulley is commenced, and consequently no appreciable movement of thegate is maintained during this first portion of the movement of drum 12,which is moved by means of the pendulous lever 7, the rack-bar 8engaging with the teeth of the gear 10 on the shaft of drum 12.

The operation is as follows: As the friction-roller 9 comes in contactwith the inclined way G and starts to move it up, the rack 8 starts tomove the pinion 10 and the drum 12, as shown in Fig. 4. The pulley l2travels a considerable distance before there is any appreciable amountof rope wound upon the drum. The strain is gradually taken'up and thespeed is an inereasin g one, and the movement starts to raisethe gate,and as the friction-roller 9 passes down the opposite side of theinclined way 6 and approaches the bottom the gate is slowly closed asthe rope 13 is brought back to its normal position. It will be observedthe rackbar 8 reciprocates out and in, and the drum 12 is oscillated onits axis by the reciprocation of this bar. The friction-roller 14, theperiphery of which engages with the top of the rack-bar 8, issufficiently small to allow the rack-bar 8 to move in the are of a ismounted IOO circle, so as to correspond with the movements of thependulous arm 7, and at the same time this roller holds the rack-bar 8in engagement with the pinion l0 and prevents any back or lost motion.Thus the rack-bar and pinion are held to their work, and yet the rack-bar allowed to oscillate and move smoothly in the performance of itswork.

In the accompanying drawings l have shown, Fig. l, the attachment to twohatchways, there being two gates on each side. There are consequentlytwo ropes, as shown--one to operate the gate on the right-hand side andthe other upon the left-hand side. Of course where only one gate isrequired but one rope will be employed. By having the pendulons arm 7long there is less swinging movement, and consequently easier movementof the rack-bar. The weight of the gate, acting through the pulley l2,the pinion l0, and rackbar 8, will hold the friction-1oller 9 in contactwith the incline plate G, so as to open and close the elevator.

I have found from experience that the above construction of the partsworks much more smoothly and without jar and shock and with decreasedfriction, and consequently gives greater satisfaction in use than othersimilar devices heretofore employed.

Having described my invention, what I claim is l. The combinatiomwith anelevator having the incline G and the hatehway-gate 4, of the drum l2,having its shaft provided with a pinion l0, the stanchion 2, having atransverse orifice, the rack-bar S, extending through the orifice in thestanchion and supported thereby, the pendulous arm pivoted at its upperend above the drum and at its lower end provided with the roller 9 andconnected with the rack-bar, and the rope 13, secured to the drum andconnected with the gate, substantially as described.

2. The combination, with the elevator having the inclined plate G,provided at each end with the reduced inclined plane a and the slidinghatehway-gate 4, of the drum l2 and pinion l0, the rack-bar 8, thependulons arm 7, pivoted at its upper end and at its lower end connectedwith the rack-bar and provided with the roller 9, and the rope 13,secured to the drum and connected with the gate, substantially asdescribed.

3. The combination of the long pendulous arm pivoted at its upper end,carrying the friction-roller 9 at its lower end, and pivoted to therack-bar l0, the friction-roller 14, engaging the upper side of saidrack-bar, the pinion lO, the drum l2, and the rope 13, connected to thegate 4, substantially as herein specified.

4. In combination with the rack, pinion, and

drum l2, located on stanchion 2 below the center of a vertical line of agiven door, the pendulous lever 7, pivoted to rack-bar S at one end andthe other end pivoted at or near the iioor above the drum l2, substantiall y as herein specified.

5. The combination, in an elevator, of the gate 4, the drum 12, thepinion l0, a raclcbar 8, engaging the pinion, a pendulous arm 7,connected with the rack-bar and the inclined plate G on the car, withsheaves above the gate, and the cable 13, secured to the gate, passingover the sheaves, and connected vertically to the drum at a point whichis above its axis when the gate is in its normal position, so that themovement of the gate is slowest as it commences to open, substantiallyas described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

JOHN G. ZELLER.

Vitnesses:

Jos. P. ILIFF, ELIZABETH JONES.

